Is real persecution around the corner?

After the game
The Daily Jot

Daily reporting and analysis of current events from a biblical and prophetic perspective.
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Tuesday, July 12, 2011



Is real persecution around the corner?



The story of Yosef Nadarkhani is relevant to every American citizen. Nadarkhani is a 32 year old evangelical pastor who became a Christian when he was 19. He lives in Iran. In October 2009, he was arrested for apostasy. He had objected to Islam being taught to Christian children in Iranian schools. He was sentenced to be hanged. Upon appeal to the Iranian Supreme Court, the sentence was modified. The Human Rights Activist News Agency reported on July 2 that the case may be returned to the lower court for re-examination, previous charges may be withdrawn while new charges are filed, or the case may be closed and charges dropped.



The news agency says that the case has not yet been referred to the lower court. This may mean that charges will be dropped and new charges will be filed. The new charges are likely to center on Nadarkhani being an apostate and that he has preached Christianity. While Iran ostensibly has freedom of religion, the Iranian Constitution allows the courts to question whether a defendant is of Islam. If the defendant is not, then he is an apostate and can be sentenced to death. In this case, Nadarkhani can deny he is a Christian by saying he is a Muslim and live or he can continue to proclaim he is a Christian and die. The US State Department has expressed its outrage to the Iranian government, CNSNews reports.



The freedom of religion in Islam is very simple. You have the freedom to choose Islam. If you do not, and you are caught, you will likely be put to death unless you recant and swear to be a believer in Islam. This is important to Americans because if we continue to allow the deterioration of our Bill of Rights, especially the First Amendment, by the US courts and through social tolerance, the First Amendment may someday mean the same thing as the Iranian Constitution. There is religious freedom, but there is no religious choice. Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."



Our Founding Fathers had the foresight to establish freedom of speech and freedom of religion as your right in the Supreme Law of the Nation--The US Constitution. We must choose our leaders wisely and hold them accountable otherwise every humanist, homosexual, Islamist, socialist, communist, and even some brands of Christians will do everything they can to take this right away. These are the deceivers and the deceived. It is our job to rightly discern. This is done through prayer, through your close relationship with the Lord, and by checking all things against the Word of God to make sure your discernment is correct--it is not an emotional, self-indulgent, self-righteous response, but one well grounded in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day